frankincense

description
Frankincense is an aromatic resin obtained from trees of the genus Boswellia, particularly Boswellia thurifera, B. carteri, B.sacra, B. frereana and B. bhaw-dajiana, all of the Burseraceae family.

Boswellia plants are moderate-sized flowering plants, including both trees and shrubs. The plants are dioecious. The flowers may have 4-5 faintly connate but imbricate sepals with an equal number of distinct, imbricate petals. Also, the stamens, that may contain nectar discs, have distinct glabrous filaments that come in 1-2 whorls and in numbers equaling or twice the number of petals; the tricolporate pollen is contained within 2 locules of the anthers that open longitudinally along slits. The gynoecium contains 3-5 connate carpels, one style, and one stigma that is head-like to lobed. Each locule of the superior ovary has 2 ovules with axile placentation that are anatropous to campylotropous. The 1-5 pitted fruit is a drupe that opens at maturity. The endosperm is usually lacking in the embryo.

common names & nomenclature
The English word Frankincense is derived from old French franc encens (i.e. high quality incense).

Also known as:
frankincense tears, frankincense, olibanum

Frankincense comes from trees that are native to Arabia, India and northern Africa.

climate
Boswellia trees grow in low evergreen tropical forests, laurel forests, tropical and subtropical mountain rainforests but also in tropical mountain cloud forests in high humidity.

soil
Boswellia trees grow best in a fast-draining sandy soil that retains water but does not stay saturated. Good drainage is essential for these plants.

growing
Boswellia seeds are best to germinate in the spring, however, within a controlled environment; they will germinate any time of year. To germinate the seeds, it is best to use a well-drained soil and set the seeds on top of the soil with pumice to cover the seeds. The soil must be kept moist at all times until the seeds germinate. The key to successfully germinating these seeds is high humidity and high temperature (90 degrees and higher). The germination rate of Boswellia seeds in cultivation is between 0 to 8%, a very poor germination rate.

harvesting
Frankincense is tapped from the scraggly but hardy trees by slashing the bark, which is called striping, and allowing the exuded resin to bleed out and harden. These hardened resins are called Frankincense tears. It takes about 8–10 years for a tree to be ready to produce resin.

The season for gathering lasts from May till the middle of September, when the first shower of rain puts a close to the gathering for that year.

preserving
The dried frankincense tears should be stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.